INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO) — The American Heart Association applauds Indiana legislators and Gov. Mike Braun for protecting students, families and staff members by requiring schools to have a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) for all school events.

“Indiana is the latest in a growing number of states nationwide that are moving to better prepare schools and school athletic programs to respond to cardiac arrests with the creation of cardiac emergency response plans,” said Christina Cesnik, Indiana government relations director for the American Heart Association. “More than two dozen states have passed these laws, with several more expected to be signed by governors in the coming days.”

Indiana’s law requires that an automated external defibrillator (AED) be present at every venue in which students have an increased risk of a sudden cardiac arrest, and that schools create venue-specific action plans to respond to cardiac emergencies.

“AEDs and immediate CPR dramatically increase the chance of survival for someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest,” Cesnik said. “Students, parents and grandparents will all benefit from schools being prepared to respond to these emergencies.”